April 25, 2008
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -
After back-to-back runner-up finishes in the team race over the last two years, the University of Louisville rowing team will make its third attempt at winning a conference title at Sunday's BIG EAST Championships at Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
The event will begin on Sunday morning with preliminary heat races in the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and novice eight events, while the afternoon schedule will feature grand and petite finals in each of those events along with grand final's in the novice four and second varsity four events.
The Cards enter the weekend just outside the USRowing/CRCA Varsity Eight Top 20 poll, ranking 21st overall, while reigning back-to-back BIG EAST champion Notre Dame is ranked No. 18 this week in the varsity eight poll. Syracuse is among those also receiving votes in this week's varsity eight coaches' poll.
"All of our boats have been moving very nicely over the last couple of weeks and we're excited about this weekend's BIG EAST races," said Cards' head coach Laura Fogt. "This will also be a great race as we prepare for the NCAA regional races next month and an opportunity to find more speed on the water. Our team has done a great job of managing the work in the classroom this week with finals and with preparing on the water for the challenges at the conference championship."
At last year's BIG EAST Championships, the Cards finished second overall to Notre Dame in the team race after winning the second varsity eight and second varsity four race titles, the first two BIG EAST race titles for Louisville in just the program's second season in the conference.
Last weekend in Minneapolis, Minn., the Cards earned a second varsity eight race win over Michigan and were narrowly defeated in a varsity eight race against the then No. 9 ranked Wolverines. At the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships in Oak Ridge last weekend, Louisville won the silver medal in the novice eight `A' final and earned a second-place finish in the `C' final of the novice four event.
Following this weekend's races, the Cards will return to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the NCAA South/Central Region Sprints on May 17-18.
